stalk; then seven thin ears, withered with the east wind, sprang up
after them; and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. I have
told the dream to the magicians, but there is no one who can tell me
what it means."
Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's two dreams mean the same thing;
God has made known to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good
cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years. It is one
dream. The seven lean and poorly fed cows that came up after them are
seven years, and the seven empty ears withered with the east wind mean
seven years of famine. That is why I said to Pharaoh, 'God has shown to
Pharaoh what he is about to do.' Seven years of great plenty all through
the land of Egypt are coming. They shall be followed by seven years of
famine, so that all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt.
The famine will use up all that the land produces; and plenty will not
be known in the land because of that famine which follows, for it will
be very severe.
"The dream came twice to Pharaoh to show that the famine will surely
come, and that God will soon make the dream come true. Now therefore let
Pharaoh pick out a man who is sensible and wise and place him in charge
of the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh act quickly and put overseers over the
land and collect one-fifth of all that grows in the land of Egypt in the
seven years of plenty. Let them gather all the food of these good years
that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and
let them hold it in the cities for food. The food will supply the land
during the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, so
that the people of the land may not die because of the famine."
The plan pleased Pharaoh and all his people; and he said to his people,
"Can we find one like this, a man in whom is the spirit of God?" So
Pharaoh said to Joseph, "As God has shown you all this, there is no one
so sensible and wise as you. You shall be at the head of my country, and
all my people shall be ruled as you command. Only on the throne I will
be above you."
So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have placed you over all the land of
Egypt." And Pharaoh took off his signet-ring from his finger and put it
upon Joseph's finger and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a
golden collar about his neck. He also made him ride in the second
chariot which he had; and they cried before him, "Attention!" So he
placed him over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also said to Joseph, "I
am Pharaoh, but without your consent no man shall lift up his hand or
his foot in all the land of Egypt." Pharaoh gave him as a wife Asenath,
the daughter of Potiphera. And Joseph was thirty years old when he was
made the ruler of the land of Egypt.
In the seven years of plenty there were large harvests, and Joseph
gathered up all the food of the seven years of plenty, which were in the
land of Egypt, and stored the food in the cities, putting in each city
the food that grew in the fields about it. Joseph stored up grain as the
sand of the sea, in great quantities, until he no longer kept account,
because it could not be measured.
When the seven years of plenty in the land of Egypt were over, the seven
years of famine began, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all
lands, but all through the land of Egypt there was food, for when all
the land of Egypt was hungry, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and
Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph and do what he tells
you." So when the famine was over all the country, Joseph opened all the
storehouses and sold food to the Egyptians: but the famine was severe in
the land of Egypt. The peoples of all lands came to Joseph in Egypt to
buy grain, for everywhere the famine was severe.
THE TESTING OF JOSEPH'S BROTHERS
When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to
his sons, "Why do you stand looking at each other? I have heard that
there is grain for sale in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us,
that we may live and not die." So Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy
grain from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's own brother,
with his brothers, for he feared that some harm might come to him. So
the sons of Jacob went with others to buy grain, for the famine was in
the land of Canaan.
Now Joseph was the governor over Egypt; it was he who sold grain to all
the people of the land. So Joseph's brothers came and bowed before him
with their faces to the earth. When Joseph saw his brothers, he knew
them; but he acted as a stranger toward them and spoke harshly to them
and said, "Where do you come from?" They said, "From the land of Canaan
to buy food." So Joseph knew his brothers, but they did not know him.
Joseph also remembered the dreams which he had had about them and said
to them, "You spies! you have come to see how defenseless the land is."
But they said to him, "No, my lord; your servants have come to buy
food. We are all sons of one man; we are honest men; your servants are
not spies." But he again said to them, "No, you have come to see how
defenseless the land is." They answered, "We, your servants, are twelve
brothers, the sons of one father in the land of Canaan. The youngest is
to-day with our father, and one is dead." Joseph said to them, "It is
just as I said to you, 'You are spies.' By this you shall be tested: as
sure as Pharaoh lives you shall not go away unless your youngest brother
comes here. Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you
remain in prison, that it may be proved whether you are telling the
truth or not. Or else, as sure as Pharaoh lives, you are indeed spies."
So he put them all into prison for three days.
Then Joseph said to them on the third day, "Do this and live, for I fear
God: if you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay in prison, but
you go, carry grain for the needs of your households and bring your
youngest brother to me. So you will prove that you have told the truth
and you shall not die."
They did as Joseph commanded, but they said to one another, "We are
indeed guilty because of the way we treated our brother, for when we saw
his trouble and when he pleaded with us, we would not listen. That is
why this trouble has come upon us." Reuben added, "Did I not say to you,
'Do not sin against the boy,' but you would not listen?"
They did not know, however, that Joseph understood them, for he had
spoken to them through an interpreter. But he turned away from them and
wept. Then he came back and spoke to them, and taking Simeon from among
them, bound him before their eyes. Then Joseph gave orders to fill their
vessels with grain and to put every man's money back in his sack and to
give them food for the journey; and thus it was done to them. So they
loaded their asses with their grain and went away.
When they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, they told
him all that had happened, saying, "The man who is master in that land
spoke harshly to us and put us in prison as spies. We said to him, 'We
are honest men; we are not spies; we are twelve brothers, sons of the
same father; one is no longer living, and the youngest is to-day with
our father in the land of Canaan.' But the man who is master in that
land said to us, 'This is how I shall know that you are honest men:
leave one of your brothers with me and take the grain to supply the
needs of your households and go. Bring your youngest brother to me; then
I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men; and I
will give your brother back to you and you shall be free to go about in
the land.'"
As they were emptying their sacks, they found that each man's purse with
his money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their
purses and the money, they were afraid and they turned trembling to one
another with the question, "What is this that God has done to us?" Jacob
their father said to them, "You have robbed me of my children: Joseph is
no longer living and Simeon is no longer here, and now you would take
Benjamin also! All this trouble has come to me!" But Reuben said to his
father, "You may put my two sons to death, if I do not bring him to you.
Put him in my charge and I will bring him back to you." Then Jacob said,
"My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he only
is left. If harm should come to him on the way by which you go, then you
will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave."
The famine was severe in the land; and when Joseph's brothers had eaten
up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, their father said to
them, "Go again, buy us a little food." But Judah said to him, "The man
plainly said to us: 'You shall not see me again unless your brother is
with you.' If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy
you food, but if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man
said to us, 'You shall not see me unless your brother is with you.'"
Jacob said, "Why did you bring trouble upon me by telling the man you
had another brother?" They replied, "The man asked all about us and our
family, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?'
So we answered his questions as he asked them. How were we to know that
he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?"
Then Judah said to Jacob, his father, "Send the lad with me, and we will
go at once, that both we and you and our little ones may live and not
die. I will be responsible for him; from me you may demand him. If I do
not bring him to you and set him before you, let me bear the blame
forever; for if we had not waited so long, surely we would by this time
have come back the second time." So their father said to them, "If it
must be so, then do this: take some of the fruits of the land in your
jars and carry a present to the man, a little balsam, a little syrup,
spices, ladanum, pistachio nuts, and almonds. Take twice as much money
with you, carrying back the money that was put in your sacks. Perhaps it
was a mistake. Take also your brother and go again to the man. May God
Almighty grant that the man may be merciful to you and free Benjamin and
your other brother. But if I am robbed of my sons, I am bereaved
indeed!" So the men took the present and twice as much money and
Benjamin, and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house,
"Bring the men into the house, kill animals, and prepare the meal, for
these men will dine with me at noon." The steward did as Joseph ordered,
and brought the men into Joseph's house. But the men were afraid,
because they were brought into Joseph's house, and they said, "We are
being brought in on account of the money that was put in our grain sacks
at our first visit, that he may accuse us and fall upon us and take us
as slaves, together with our asses."
So when they came near to Joseph's steward, they spoke to him at the
door of the house and said, "Oh, my lord, we came down the first time
only to buy food; but when we reached home, we opened our sacks and
found that each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in
its full weight; and we have brought it back with us. We have brought
down with us more money with which to buy food. We do not know who put
our money into our sacks." He replied, "Peace be to you, fear not; your
God and the God of your father has given you the treasure in your sacks;
your money came to me."
Then he brought Simeon out to them. The steward also took the men to
Joseph's house and gave them water with which to wash their feet, and he
gave their asses fodder. Then they made ready the present for Joseph,
when he should come at noon, for they had heard that they were to eat
there.
When Joseph came into the house, they gave him the present which they
had brought and bowed down low before him. He asked them about their
welfare and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke?
Is he still living?" They replied, "Your servant, our father, is well;
he is still alive." Then they bowed their heads and knelt down before
him.
When Joseph looked up and saw Benjamin his brother, his own mother's
son, he said, "Is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me?"
And he added, "God be gracious to you, my son." Then because of his
longing for his brother he sought a place in which to weep. So he went
into his room and wept there.
Then he bathed his face and came out and said, "Bring on the food." So
they brought food for him by himself and for them by themselves and for
the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians
would not eat with the Hebrews, for to do so was hateful to them.
Joseph's brothers were seated before him, the eldest first, as was his
right as the oldest, and the youngest last, and the men looked at each
other in astonishment. Then Joseph had portions served to them from the
food before him. But Benjamin's portions were five times as much as any
of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.
Then he gave this command to the steward of his household: "Fill the
men's grain sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put my cup,
the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest and the money
too that he paid for his grain." And the steward did as Joseph
commanded.
As soon as the morning light appeared, the men were sent away with their
asses. When they had gone out of the city, but were not yet far away,
Joseph commanded his steward, "Follow after the men and when you
overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you returned evil for good? Why
have you stolen my silver cup, that from which my master drinks? You
have done wrong in so doing.'"
So the steward overtook them and said these words to them. They said to
him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your
servants to do such a thing! Remember that we brought back to you from
the land of Canaan the money which we found in our sacks. Why then
should we steal silver or gold from your master's house? Let that one of
your servants with whom it is found die, and we will be my lord's
slaves." He said, "Let it now be as you have said: he with whom it is
found shall be my slave; but you shall be innocent." Then each one
quickly took down his sack and opened it. The steward searched,
beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was
found in Benjamin's sack. Then they tore their clothes, and every man
loaded his ass and returned to the city.
JOSEPH'S FORGIVENESS OF HIS BROTHERS
[Illustration: _Joseph Converses with Judah, his Brother_
Painted by J. James Tissot]
When Judah and his brothers came back to Joseph's house, Joseph was
still there; and they threw themselves before him on the ground. Joseph
said to them, "What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know
that a man like me can always tell where things are?" Judah replied,
"What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak or how shall we clear
ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants. See, both we
and he also with whom the cup was found are my lord's slaves." But
Joseph said, "Far be it from me that I should do so! The man with whom
the cup was found shall be my slave; but you yourselves go up in peace
to your father."
Then Judah came close to him and said, "Oh, my lord, let your servant, I
beg of you, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger be
aroused against your servant, for you are even as Pharaoh. My lord asked
his servants, saying, 'Have you a father or a brother?' And we said to
my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a
little one. As his brother is dead, he is the only son of his mother who
is left; and his father loves him.' You said to your servants, 'Bring
him down to me, that I may see him.' But we said to my lord, 'The boy
cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, his father
would die.' Then you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest
brother comes down with you, you shall not see me again.'
"When we went up to your servant, my father, we told him the words of my
lord; and our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food.' But we
said, 'We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we
will go; for we cannot see the man again unless our youngest brother is
with us.' Your servant, my father, said to us, 'You know that my wife
had two sons; and one went from me,' and I said, 'Surely he is torn in
pieces; and I have not seen him since. If you take this one also from
me, and harm come to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow
to the grave.' Now if I return to your servant, my father, and Benjamin
with whose life his heart is bound up is not with us, and he sees that
there is no boy, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray
hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. For your
servant became responsible for the boy to my father, when I said, 'If I
do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame before my father
forever.' Now, therefore, let me, instead of the boy, remain as a slave
to my lord, I beg of you; but let the boy go back with his brothers. For
how can I go back to my father, if the boy is not with me, lest I should
see the sorrow that would come upon my father?"
Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who were standing
by him; so he cried out, "Let every man leave me." So no Egyptian was
present while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. But he wept so
loudly that the Egyptians and Pharaoh's court heard.
And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father still
alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were too ashamed
to look him in the face. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to
me, I beg of you." So they came near. He said, "I am Joseph, your
brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Do not be troubled nor angry with
yourselves that you sold me here, for God sent me before you to save
your lives. For the famine has already been two years in the land, and
there are still five years in which there shall be neither ploughing nor
harvest. God sent me before you to save your lives through a great
deliverance and thus give you children on the earth. So now it is not
you who sent me here, but God. He has made me like a father to Pharaoh
and master of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
"Go up quickly to my father and say to him, 'Your son Joseph says: God
has made me master of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay. You
shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me with your
children and your grandchildren, with your flocks and your herds and all
that you have, so that you, with your household and all that you have,
may never want. There I will provide for you, for there will be five
more years of famine.' Now you and my brother Benjamin see that it is I
who am speaking to you. Tell my father all about my honor in Egypt and
what you have seen; and you must quickly bring him down here."
Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin
wept upon his neck. He also kissed all his brothers and wept upon them.
After that his brothers talked with him.
JOSEPH'S LOYALTY TO HIS FAMILY
The news that Joseph's brothers had arrived became known in Pharaoh's
palace; and it pleased Pharaoh and his servants greatly. Pharaoh said to
Joseph, "Say to your brothers, 'Do this: load your beasts, go to the
land of Canaan, and take your father and your families and come to me,
and I will give you the best there is in the land of Egypt, and you
shall eat the best that the land can give. Now you are commanded to do
this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for
your wives, and bring your father and come. Also do not pay any
attention to your household goods, for the best of all there is in the
land of Egypt is yours.'" And the sons of Jacob did as they were
commanded.
So Joseph gave them wagons, as Pharaoh ordered, and what was needed for
the journey. To each of them he gave a change of clothing, but to
Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of
clothing. To his father he sent this gift: ten asses loaded with the
best products of Egypt and ten asses loaded with grain and bread and
provisions for his father on the journey.
So he sent his brothers away, and, as they went, he said to them, "See
that you do not quarrel on the journey!" So they went up out of Egypt
and came into the land of Canaan to Jacob their father, and told him,
"Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!"
Then Jacob's heart stood still, for he could not believe them. But when
they told him all that Joseph had said to them and when he saw the
wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their
father revived, and he said, "It is enough; Joseph my son is still
alive. I will go and see him before I die."
Then Jacob set out on his journey with all that he had. He first went to
Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God
spoke to him in a vision by night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." He answered,
"Here am I." God said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not fear to
go down into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great nation. I
myself will go down with you into Egypt; I will surely bring you back
again; and Joseph shall close your dying eyes."
When Jacob left Beersheba, his sons carried him and their little ones
and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent. Jacob also sent
Judah before him to Joseph, that he might show him the way to Goshen.
When they came into the land of Goshen, Joseph made ready his chariot,
and went up to Goshen to meet Jacob his father. When he met him, Jacob
fell on his neck and wept there a long time.
Then Jacob said to Joseph, "Now let me die, for I have seen your face
and know that you are still alive." But Joseph said to his brothers and
to his father's household, "I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say
to him, 'My brothers and my father's family who were in the land of
Canaan have come to me. Now the men are shepherds, for they have been
keepers of cattle; and they have brought their flocks and cattle and all
that they have.' When Pharaoh calls you, and asks, 'What is your
business?' you shall say, 'Your servants have been keepers of cattle
from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers.' Say this that
you may live in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is looked down
upon by the Egyptians."
Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh and said, "My father and my
brothers with their sheep and cattle and all that they possess have come
from the land of Canaan; and now they are in the province of Goshen."
And he took five of his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. Pharaoh
said to them, "What is your business?" They answered, "Your servants are
shepherds, both we and our fathers." They also said to Pharaoh, "We have
come to live in your country; because the famine is severe in the land
of Canaan, and there is no pasture for your servants' flocks. Now,
therefore, we beg of you, let your servants stay in the land of Goshen."
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Let them stay in the land of Goshen; and
if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my cattle."
Joseph also brought in Jacob his father and presented him to Pharaoh;
and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many years
have you lived?" Jacob answered, "I have lived a hundred and thirty
years; few and evil have been the years of my life, and they have not
been as many as those that my forefathers lived on earth." After Jacob
had blessed Pharaoh, he went out from Pharaoh's presence. So Joseph gave
his father and his brothers a place to live in and a home in the land of
Goshen, in the best part of the land of Egypt, as Pharaoh had commanded.
Joseph also provided food for his father and his brothers and all his
father's family according to the number of the little children. So the
Israelites lived in Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and there they grew
wealthy and had many children.
THE BOYHOOD AND TRAINING OF MOSES
After the death of Joseph and his brothers, the Israelites increased so
rapidly and became so many and powerful that the land was filled with
them. But a new king who did not know Joseph ruled over Egypt. He said
to his people, "See, the Israelites are becoming too many and powerful
for us. Come, let us deal wisely with them, for fear that they become so
many that, if war is begun against us, they will join our enemies and
fight against us and leave the land."